Dear Natsume
by taintedmoonx
Summary: AU Natsume went off to fight in a war, but that still doesn't stop Mikan from writing to him. ONE-SHOT NatsumeMikan


I know I'm on a hiatus, but this idea was desperately clawing at my mind so I had to write this. To my usual readers: This is not a Contestshipping story, because although I still support it, I have no interest in writing for it anymore, so I decided to try my hand at a one-shot for Gakuen Alice.

This might be my only story for Gakuen Alice because I'm working on an iCarly fic, but we'll see.

**IMPORTANT: **I was just about to write the entry for January 2 when I realized that my title is "Dear Natsume" and the plot is loosely based on "Dear John." Well, my dear readers, in _**ABSOLUTELY NO WAY**_ was I inspired by that book/movie. I had this idea and was thinking of a title when I thought of Dear Natsume. I had totally forgotten about Dear John until I was on the third page. So…yeah. Ahem.

Hopefully, no one is OOC! Enjoy! (And I disclaim)

**Dear Natsume**

A middle aged man sits by himself at his desk and rubs his eyes tiredly. He glances at the glowing red digits on the clock propped up beside his laptop. It's 10:50 PM and he's still not finished with the damn report he's supposed to be working on. The man shrugs and shuts down his laptop. Screw the deadline, he'll finish writing it tomorrow. He takes off his reading glasses and shuts his eyes briefly before pushing himself out of his chair.

He prepares to leave the room when his crimson eyes are drawn, like magnets, to the topmost drawer on his desk. Unbidden, her smiling face and stupid pigtails appear in his mind and he tentatively opens the drawer to take out a thick bundle of letters. A thought occurs to him and his eyes widen in alarm when he sees the date circled on his calendar.

"Shit," he mutters, tucking the letters in his pants pocket and going to retrieve his coat. He is out the front door before he can even shove both arms into his jacket.

The date is May 26.

_December 7_

_Dear Natsume,_

_ How are you? _

_ Ugh, I'm sorry, that's a stupid way to start a letter, but I've decided that I'll just write down everything that comes to my mind (no matter how silly it may seem to you), because I don't want you to miss a single second of what's happening back at home. _

_ …But seriously, how are you? I hope you're eating properly. Just because you're fighting in a war doesn't mean you can miss out on healthy, nutritious meals. You have to keep your strength up if you want to –_

_ I'm fine, just in case you're wondering. Yuka is fine too. She's always asking for her daddy, isn't that so cute? I tell her that Daddy is just away on a trip and that he'll be back in no time. Anyways, Ruka-pyon and Hotaru visit constantly, even though I tell them that I can take care of myself. Hotaru is always saying that I'm a clumsy idiot and that I'll probably accidentally fall down the stairs while I'm carrying Yuka and no one will be able to save me if she and Ruka-pyon and there. _

_ And if you're wondering, yes that actually happened, but don't worry! Hotaru was smart enough to cushion the stairs and put a mattress at the bottom so we were unharmed. It's a little difficult to walk up and down the stairs, but safety first, right? I don't know if they allow you to send letters back, but I'll make sure to write everyday so you don't miss me as much :P (Am I supposed to put a period after that face? It'll look weird if I do…I'll just keep it like this because I don't have an eraser and I don't want to cross out anything)._

_ Keep your strength up, Natsume! Stay strong, be safe, and remember that I'm always thinking of you! You better be thinking of me, too!_

_ With all my love,_

_ Your wife (Mikan) _

_PS. I have enclosed some photographs I took while you were away. Enjoy!_

_December 8_

_Dear Natsume,_

_ As promised, I am writing every single day! Haha, I know you're probably thinking that you and I have better things to do, and you probably still haven't even received my first letter, but I'll keep writing._

_ OHMIGOSH! GUESS WHAT! YUKA DREW A PICTURE OF ALL OF US WHEN SHE WAS IN PRESCHOOL! THIS IS SO EXCITING! I know you're probably thinking, "Stop writing in caps, woman," but it's so amazing that I can be able to witness an actual child growing and maturing right before my very eyes. (By the way, I have attached the drawing and a picture of the four of us (Yuka, me, Hotaru, and Ruka) for your enjoyment and pleasure!) _

_ Uh-oh. This letter is going to be short because Yuka just woke up and it's four AM right now. I know it's late, but I just miss you so much._

_ Come back soon!_

_ Mikan_

_December 10_

_Dear Natsume,_

_ I feel horrible that I didn't write to you yesterday, and I'm sorry that I broke my promise, but something terrible happened yesterday – Ruka-pyon was diagnosed with cancer. I've been staying up all night worrying about him and worrying about you._

_ Hotaru also seems shaken, and she's here with me right now in the hospital. The doctors say that he's had it for awhile now, which makes Hotaru very angry because he's hidden it for so long. Even I thought he looked skinner than usual, but his job, as you know, is very stressful. _

_ I just feel awful, Natsume. I'm already worried sick about you, but now one of my closest friends has cancer! It's just too much to bear. Please, Natsume, stay safe for me. For all of us._

_Mikan_

_PS. Enclosed are some more photos – enjoy!_

_December 11_

_Dear Natsume,_

_ Hotaru is staying overnight in the hospital, but I'm home now with Yuka, who's safely tucked away in bed. It's 3AM but I can't sleep at all. There's no use worrying about Ruka because I know the doctors are going to successfully cure him (I just know it) and now I realize there's really no worrying about you, because I've decided that you _have _to come home. I mean, why wouldn't you be able to? _

_ Yuka still needs a father figure in her life, and now that Hotaru and Ruka are at the hospital, I've realized how lifeless this house seems. I know you're usually complaining about how much I talk (which you should have gotten used to, by the way, because we've known each other since elementary school) but I think, Natsume, that you're like the warmth and the light of a fire of this house. I have the heater up to the max (don't worry, our bills aren't going to suffer – I cut the cable for the winter) because a blizzard's brewing outside and I don't know how long it's going to last._

_ Oh yeah, before I try to attempt sleeping again, when you come back, you need to remember to chop down that tree in our backyard. It's been growing pretty fast ever since you left and its very close to shooting through the roof. Actually, you know what, I'm going to do it myself. I still feel awful and just downright useless about Ruka's cancer, and I figure I should just do _something _to get my mind off of all these troubling things. _

_Forever yours,_

_Mikan_

_PS. No, I will not hurt myself chopping down the tree. I promise you. _

_PPS. Enclosed are pictures of Yuka and me. Enjoy!_

_January 1_

_Dear Natsume,_

_ HAPPY NEW YEARS! Are you celebrating with your fellow army comrades? I bet you're wondering why it took me so long to reply, right? Well…hehe…I decided not to chop down the tree by myself and hired someone to do it. (You can breathe a sigh of relief now) I actually ended up spraining my wrist because I tripped over one of Yuka's toys. Good thing Hotaru was there, though. She lectured Yuka on not putting things away (a habit I – regretfully – still haven't broken) and then took me to the hospital. It wasn't really eventful, really, I've sprained and broken my bones and stuff plenty of times, so it's all yesterday's news, at any rate._

_ Unfortunately, that meant that I couldn't write to you, and I've tried writing with my other hand, but that was a disaster, so I decided to wait. I haven't been out that much because I fainted a couple weeks ago from lack of sleep. The doctor advised me to stay in bed for awhile, and since then I've taken up jewelry making. So far I haven't really made any masterpieces, just a couple of simple necklaces and bracelets. I gave them all to Yuka, who really seems to enjoy wearing them everyday. _

_ And…I know you haven't forgotten, because if you did – shame on you! Yuka's birthday is tomorrow! She's turning four, isn't that so exciting? You better send back a present or else I'm going to stop writing to you!_

_Lovingly,_

_Mikan_

_PS. Enclosed are some pictures of Yuka and me. Enjoy!_

_January 2_

_Dear Natsume,_

_ I know that it's too early for me to be receiving your present, but I just wanted to let you know that I have just woken up and I am getting ready for work, and I will be expecting your present to arrive on first-class mail. I have already prepared Yuka a cake and a stuffed animal. Beat that! Ha! _

_Loooove,_

_Mikan_

_PS. Enclosed is a picture of the chopped down tree. Sorry I forgot to send it to you earlier. Enjoy!_

_May 26_

_Dear Natsume,_

_ …It's been awhile, hasn't it? As promised, I stopped writing to you because I never received Yuka's present. Shame on you! (However, you will find two and half months worth of letters and pictures tucked away in your desk drawer)_

_You've probably noticed that I stopped writing about Ruka-pyon, huh? I didn't do it on purpose – I swear! But he's still under-going treatment as we speak, so I really don't have anything to say. I'm starting to worry about Hotaru. She looks so tired all the time, and she spends all of her days at our place. Not that I'm complaining of course, but she probably needs to take her mind off of Ruka. _

_Hold on – Hotaru just came back from checking the mail and she says she has something important to show me._

_NATSUME! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! YOU'RE FINALLY COMING HOME! This is just…I just…oh my gosh, I am like screaming like an idiot right now. And I just fell up the stairs in my excitement to write to you – GAHH!_

_See you soon!_

_Mikan_

_PS. I just realized that the letter said you'd be home in a year. No matter. YOU'RE STILL COMING HOME!_

"Imai, let me though." He spoke impatiently – understandable, of course, seeing that he had come back from war and hadn't seen his wife and daughter for a year.

"You're not going to like it," she told him calmly, her violet eyes shining with unshed tears.

"Like what?" His already short patience was growing thinner and thinner. He had a wife and child to see, dammit. He shouldn't be kept up like this. Come to think of it, where were they? She should have already opened the door and tripped over her feet in her excitement to see her husband.

"Natsume…Mikan and Yuka are dead...Today – today marks the second year. I was just about to visit her - "

"You're kidding me," he said flatly. "You're fucking kidding me." He pushed past Imai and wrenched the door open.

The house was empty. The pictures, the furniture, everything else was still there, though. Except his wife and daughter were not.

Two thuds sounded dully as two little wrapped up boxes fell to the carpeted floor from his limp fingers.

"…There was a car accident," Imai was saying in a strangled whisper. "A drunk driver – he…" she trailed off. Further explanation wasn't needed. He knew from her anguished silence. And somehow, he had known something was wrong from the yearlong silence.

"Ruka?" he rasped.

"He went ahead without me."

Natsume closed his eyes and tilted his head toward the the ceiling.

And he wept.

The date was May 26.

* * *

Like it? Hate it? Please review!

Love,

Indy


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